12th of Never

Chapter 87

MARCIA KOHL WAS in her forties but seemed older. It looked to Yuki as though she was both beaten down and beaten up. She wouldn’t make eye contact. She had a fat lower lip and a fading yellow bruise under her left eye. She didn’t ask for a lawyer, but she refused to speak to the police without her husband present. She was being seen by a psychiatrist as Brady interviewed Alan Kohl.

Alan Kohl hadn’t asked for a lawyer, either.

Yuki stood behind the one-way glass and watched Brady conduct the interview with Kohl. It had been going on for an hour. Kohl was very sure of himself, overconfident, and appeared to think that if he continued to maintain that he was innocent he would leave the police station a free man.

Brady was patient and Yuki knew he didn’t care how long it took. Kohl wasn’t getting out of the interrogation room until he lawyered up or Brady had gotten what he wanted.

Brady’s tone was casual, even friendly. He was saying to Alan Kohl, “I just want to understand why you kidnapped Lily Herman. I know you must have cared for her, but why did you take her?”

“We didn’t kidnap anyone,” said Alan Kohl. “And you can’t prove otherwise.”

“But you admit you kept Lily Herman in your house. There in the room at the end of the tunnel.”

“Okay, yes, she was a guest in our home.”

“Guest? So your guest room is a six-foot-square underground box? It was okay to keep a little girl in there?”

“She was happy, didn’t she tell you? She had everything she wanted.”

“I don’t think a jury is going to go for that, Alan.”

“I have copies of checks from Keith Herman. Three hundred dollars a week.”

“What does that prove?” Brady said.

“Are you trying to trick me, Lieutenant? Or are you playing stupid? Keith Herman was paying us to keep his kid safe. She’s safe, right?”

“I’m wondering if those were payments for keeping Lily safe or if you kidnapped Lily and were extorting her father. As long as he paid you and he didn’t call the police, Lily was safe. You understand, there’s a big difference between minding the child and kidnapping her. Kidnapping is a felony. Comes with a death penalty.”

Kohl smiled at Brady.

“Is this what you think, or are you still fishing around? I told you. Keith Herman paid us to keep his daughter safe.”

“Okay, Alan. I don’t believe you. You’re under arrest for kidnapping Lily Herman.”

“Wait. I’ve got copies of the checks from Keith Herman.”

Brady said, “You want to get anywhere with me, I need evidence that Keith Herman killed his wife.”

“Why didn’t you just say so?” said Alan Kohl. “Sit down. Keep the cameras rolling. I’ll tell you where you might find your so-called evidence, but Marcia and I had nothing to do with any murder. I swear to God.”

Kohl talked to Brady for about fifteen minutes, told him a lot of stuff, and when he was done, Brady said, “Stand up, Alan. Put your hands behind your back.”

“What? Wait a minute. What the hell are you doing?”

Brady pulled Alan Kohl to his feet, spun him around, and snapped cuffs around his wrists.

“Alan Kohl, you’re under arrest for felony kidnapping and endangerment of a minor.”

“You said you only wanted evidence of what Herman did to his wife. That’s all I’ve got.”

“Get a lawyer, Alan. Go crazy and hire the best one you can afford.”